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Detail Pages
The Jolly Brewmaster, Cheltenham
Cheltenham
GL50 2EZ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Jolly Brewmaster
Not much change since my only visit almost a decade back – it’s a nice traditional interior with a couple of design quirks that appeal, such as the curved bar and stained glass partitioning. A plethora of cask which, given the surprisingly sparse clientele on a Saturday night, made me nervous; whilst my half (a Tom Long by Stroud Brewery since you ask) was just about GBG quality (NBSS 3) it didn’t really sparkle and I only saw two others poured over my fifteen minutes. A shame, as I like the pub a lot but the days of it being able to shift so much cask are probably gone and they need to realise that – pare a couple back and increase throughput?? GBG’23 listed.
June 2013
Alighted here after a long session at the Cheltenham Food Festival. This has an attractive exterior with a tastefully modernised interior over split levels. The curved bar holds a good number of ales (seven in total) with a good choice of local and unusual brews as well as at least four proper ciders and a couple of interesting non-alcoholic options too. I tried three of the ales, two of which were in good nick though the stronger (5.5%) one was a little out-of-shape. Staff were friendly and there was a buzzing atmosphere inside. To the rear is a pretty nice courtyard garden which catches the sun in the late afternoon and also features an unusual mural of a stylised 1930’s couple in the smoker’s shelter. I quite liked this one and would happily go again next time I’m Cheltenham. Rated 7
On 15th April 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5099 recommendations about 5082 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about The Jolly Brewmaster
A long walk from the town centre and Cheltenham isn’t the most pedestrian friendly town, the late week day opening and £5 minimum charge for cards are also a bit off putting although it might be rude to say it sounds like them saying “you should be grateful to be able to drink there”. However it’s got a nice and interesting interior and a good selection of beers and ciders, eight cask beers, five cask ciders, and there’s a low T-bar if you must. Internally a square room with a tail, it’s subdivided by residual walls, stained glass partions and a raised balustraded area. The light wood counter is semi circular and is topped with a shelf groaning with hops held up by nicely turned balusters. It has a hand rail secured by elephants a rare feature but I’ve seen it a few times. Dark walls and woodwork with a white frieze above work well especially with brighter art work. With that pump count it’s obviously GBG2022 listed and yes I do think worth the walk.
On 11th September 2022
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3269 recommendations about 2978 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Jolly Brewmaster
An unusual looking pub in a largely residential street, it has something of a New Orleans look to it perhaps with pale grey paintwork, black painted columns and an archway through to the garden. It has won numerous Camra awards I believe, so we had high expectations.
Internally it’s largely one open plan room, although there is some stained glass partitioning to break up the space somewhat. A large horseshoe shaped bar is towards the rear, and this sported a good selection of handpumps. Flooring was some sort of wood strip whilst further dark wood panelling was on the lower part of the walls. Elsewhere the paintwork was mostly a deep maroon shade and there were plenty of hops strung up above the bar. A couple of small fireplaces were at the front of the pub, one of which was lit which was a welcome touch on a cold February evening. Seating was a mixture of bench seats and stools. An old world map was on one wall, whilst there were several sun references around, such as a copper coloured sun on the wall and sun motifs in the stained glass. Perhaps that was the pub’s name in a former life.
Beers on tap were Exmoor Gold, Moor Stout, Butcombe Original, Salopian Oracle, Arbor Simcoe and Black Sheep Bitter. Ciders were very well represented with Cotswold Voodoo Pulp, Dunkerton’s Organic, Iford New Tradition, Abrahalls Thundering Molly along with Sandford Orchard’s Devon Mist and Devon Red. Overall, a cracking pub and well worth tracking down.
On 1st March 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1949 recommendations about 1862 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Jolly Brewmaster
Award winning pub that’s worth seeking out. Quite a plain interior with a central horseshoe bar serving 7 real ales and 3 ciders.
On 13th March 2020
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Peter Jillings left this review about The Jolly Brewmaster
Always worth a visit. If you're into real ale, then this pub is a must.
On 17th April 2018
- rating: 10
[User has posted 59 recommendations about 54 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Jolly Brewmaster
A true back street gem, with a great selection of ales that were flying across the bar. The bar itself was unusual, as it was horseshoe shaped and was positioned towards the rear of the pub protruding out from the left hand wall. The bar area was also original and was finished in mahogany. 8 pumps all in use on our Friday night visit, I immediately went for the Bristol Beer Factory Nova, which ran out very quickly, I also tried the Arbour Shangri La, which slipped down a treat. The staff and fellow drinkers were all friendly and welcoming. It's an excellent pub, that should be on everyone's hitlist.
On 4th March 2018
- rating: 10
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Jolly Brewmaster
A worthwhile walk from the town centre for this lively residential pub.
A blueprint for how pubs should be.
Very good Betty Stoggs among the choice of up to 7 ales and an equal number of ciders.
Photos at my blog - http://bit.ly/2d1vJ0u
On 25th September 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 277 recommendations about 276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Jolly Brewmaster
A long standing CAMRA local pub of the year,the awards are displayed on one wall,an almost continuous role of honour with the noteable exception of the 2014 award which went to the new Sandford Park Ale House.The sense of dissapointment is palpable.
The interior is quite traditional with a raised section to the right of the entrance,a carpeted tap room around a U shaped bar,Victorian fireplace and a drinking ledge with free newspapers.There is a decent beer garden outside.Of the 13 handpumps,6 are dedicated to real cider and perry ,so the ale selection was Wickwar Cotswold Way,Fullers Chiswick,Salopian Oracle,Malvern Hills MHB,Sambrooks Wandle,Buxton Moor Top and Exmoor Fox.Looking around at the collection of handpumps I spotted ones from Marble,Dark Star,Burning Sky and Bathams and was left reflecting that had any of these been on during my visit ,higher marks would have been awarded.I got the impression that the pub has rested on it's real ale laurels and has been overshadowed.Still worth a visit on any real ale crawl,and popular with a good band of locals.
On 20th July 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2728 recommendations about 2728 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Jolly Brewmaster
The Jolly Brewmaster was the local CAMRA Pub of the Year and runner-up 2012 South West Regional Cider Pub of the Year, and it’s not difficult to see why. The bar supports 7 hand pumps which feature a regularly changing range of ales from Gloucestershire and beyond. And alongside these Black Rat cider & perry and a choice of local ciders is usually available.
Butty Bach from the Wye Valley Brewery, Uley Brewery Pigs Ear, Stroud Brewery Big Cat, Thornbridge Kipling, and XT 13 were on alongside Castle Rocks Harvest Pale Ale plus the Black Rat Perry and Ashridge Devon Cider. All the ones we tried were in excellent nick and the XT 13 was superb.
It’s tucked away in the Montpellier district of Cheltenham but is worth the extra walk beyond Montpellier Gardens to search out.
A decent enough terraced exterior with original etched windows, inside you enter into two comfortable bare wood floored seating areas around open fire places before dropping down to the sunken horseshoe bar . And then outback there is an attractive beer garden which we were able to utilise on the decent bank holiday weather weekend.
Cheltenham isn’t endowed with top class Ale pubs and the Jolly Brewmaster would certainly qualify as a should visit when in town, and can be combined with the nearby Beehive and Royal Union for a very pleasant crawl taking in the fine architecture of the Montpellier District.
On 28th May 2013
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2111 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Peter Jillings left this review about The Jolly Brewmaster
If you're into real ale, then this pub is a must.
On 2nd January 2013
- rating: 9
[User has posted 59 recommendations about 54 pubs]